The History of Customized Corneal Ablation (Custom LASIK)

With the recent announcement by Technolas Perfect Vision of the FDA approval of its iris-tracking laser to improve LASIK outcomes, it reminded me that I was among the first to report on customized ablation (or Wavefront Driven LASIK), from its birth at the 1998 AAO Meeting, and subsequent blossoming at the 1999 ASCRS Meeting.

I was also the first to write about LASEK, the technique of pushing aside the epithelium and performing PRK on the surface of the cornea – as opposed to first making a flap with a microkeratome or laser, and then zapping the cornea to reshape it.

In chronological order, I have just placed a series of nine writeups on these techniques, that were first published in Ocular Surgery News under my “Technology Update” byline, onto my online Journal.